The Los Angeles Lakers have been the talk of the NBA since trading for Luka Doncic over two weeks ago. Nearly everyone around the league agreed that L.A. clearly won that trade, and that was even before Anthony Davis went down with an injury in his first game as a Maverick.
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka was reportedly approached by Mavs GM Nico Harrison with the Doncic offer, a tidbit that is still mind-boggling to NBA fans and insiders alike. Pelinka had no choice but to make the deal, but he's also been working overtime since Doncic came to L.A. to try to fill the hole at center left by Davis' departure.
It appeared that Pelinka had found his solution when he traded for young Hornets big man Mark Williams, but that deal fell through when Williams failed his physical. Because that occurred after the trade deadline had passed, Pelinka was then unable to make another splash in the trade market.
This leaves the buyout market as the only way for the Lakers to fortify the paint, and to that end, they signed veteran center Alex Len last week. Len was uninspiring in his Lakers debut, scoring four points and grabbing seven rebounds while getting abused on defense in a loss to the lowly Utah Jazz. His ceiling appears to be very low.
It's clear that the Lakers need more help at center, but there's a big difference between who could become available and who would be a good fit. L.A. traded for Williams in accordance with Doncic's wishes to play with an athletic big that could be a lob threat. Though there'll be nobody out there who could be as impactful a player as Williams (and the Lakers, by virtue of being over the first apron, are ineligible to sign any buyout player that is making over the midlevel exception anyway), there are other players that fit a similar mold if you squint hard enough.
Pelinka is undoubtedly on the phone at this very minute trying to secure frontcourt help, so let's look at three of the best candidates he could settle on.
Lakers buyout candidate No. 1: Mo Bamba
If Pelinka is looking for a high-upside guy, then Mo Bamba is the pick. The veteran has bounced around the league throughout his career (including a brief stint with the Lakers), but tools have never been his problem.
This is a guy that can alter shots and rack up blocks with his 7-foot-10 wingspan, a quality the Lakers are lacking with Davis no longer in town. He's also a dangerous lob threat, especially seeing how he'd be on the receiving end of passes from Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves.
Bamba played 28 games for the Clippers this year, and he was serviceable playing behind Ivica Zubac in just over 12 minutes per game. He grabbed at least seven rebounds in six of his last 10 games with the Clips, and even blocked five shots against the Wizards in his second-to-last game. He was traded to the Jazz along with PJ Tucker for Drew Eubanks and Patty Mills earlier this month, then was waived before ever suiting up so Utah could make room for Jalen Hood-Schifino as part of the Doncic-Davis trade.
Bamba is already familiar with the Lakers and has the size and athleticism to be a bigger difference-maker than Len. Pelinka should have signed him yesterday.
Lakers buyout candidate No. 2: Chris Boucher
The buyout market is always tricky to predict. Bamba is already out there waiting for a call, but for other players, we can only speculate on whether they'll become available or not.
At 17-38, the Raptors are going nowhere fast, so they might look to move on from Chris Boucher. That all may come down to the health of Jakob Poeltl though, who's been sidelined for almost two weeks with a hip injury. If Poeltl can't come back soon, Toronto will need Boucher to soak up some of those minutes.
Boucher is averaging over 10 points a game, and he's shooting the best percentage of his career from three-point range. That could be an added enticement as the Lakers look to spread the floor around Doncic and James, each of whom can be ball-dominant but have the vision and superlative passing ability to find anyone anywhere on the court.
Boucher reportedly garnered some interest around the trade deadline, but general manager Masai Ujiri opted to keep him in town. Let's see if that changes now that he traded for Brandon Ingram and gave him a three-year, $120 million extension
Lakers buyout candidate No. 3: Kelly Olynyk
This one certainly strays from the "Luka lob threat" archetype, but Kelly Olynyk's crafty game and high basketball IQ have me intrigued. The Lakers are already one of the most cerebral teams in the league with Doncic, LeBron and Reaves. Adding Olynyk, an unconventional center who can shoot it from outside and pass it well from the post, could be a worthwhile experiment.
Olynyk was fighting for minutes with Boucher in Toronto before being included in the Ingram deal, but there's also not necessarily a clear path to significant playing time in New Orleans due to the presence of Zion Williamson and rookie Yves Missi.
The Pelicans have been enduring a year from hell in which seemingly everyone on the roster has been hurt at one point or another. Olynyk could provide some stability and insurance in the frontcourt as the Pelicans limp toward the finish line, or he could get cut and sign with a contender.
Olynyk was on that 2020 Miami Heat team that lost to the Lakers in the bubble Finals, and though he's spent most of his pro career on the East Coast (he did play for the Jazz from 2022-24), his college days at Gonzaga indicate that a move out West might not be all that bad. This would be a pivot from what most people expect the Lakers to do, but Olynyk's offensive versatility could make it a shot worth taking.